A/HRC/34/15 I. Introduction 1. The present report was prepared by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) pursuant to Commission on Human Rights resolutions 4 (XXXI), 4 (XXXII) and 1987/50, and Human Rights Council decision 2/102.1 2. As at 30 November 2016, Cyprus remained divided, with a buffer zone maintained by the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP). UNFICYP was established pursuant to Security Council resolution 186 (1964) to prevent a recurrence of fighting between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities on the island, and to bring about a return to normal conditions. Its responsibilities were expanded in 1974 following a coup d’état by elements favouring union with Greece and a subsequent military intervention by Turkey, whose troops established control over the northern part of the island. Since the de facto ceasefire in August 1974, UNFICYP has supervised the ceasefire lines, provided humanitarian assistance and maintained a buffer zone between the Turkish and the Turkish Cypriot forces in the north and the Greek Cypriot forces in the south (see also www.unficyp.org). 3. From 1 December 2015 to 30 November 2016, substantive negotiations on a comprehensive settlement in Cyprus continued under the auspices of the SecretaryGeneral’s good offices, under the leadership of Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on Cyprus, Espen Barth Eide. The Greek Cypriot leader, Nicos Anastasiades, and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mustafa Akıncı, have maintained a steadfast commitment to the process. They continued to engage in person in extensive discussions on a wide range of issues across the chapters under negotiation: governance and power-sharing (including the questions of citizenship, immigration, and residency); the economy; European Union matters; property; territory; and security and guarantees. During the period under review, the pace and regularity of the meetings continued to be accompanied by a serious and determined effort to move the process forward, even though the issues on the table proved, at times, to be complex and challenging (S/2016/599, para. 5). 4. In a joint statement issued on 15 May 2016 to mark the first anniversary of their talks, the leaders expressed their satisfaction with the essential progress that had been made during a year of intensive negotiations, underlining their commitment to intensify their efforts with the aim of reaching a comprehensive settlement agreement in 2016. Building on that statement, the leaders issued another statement on 8 June, in which they announced that they had agreed to intensify negotiations and to start meeting twice a week, beginning 17 June 2016, to work to resolve outstanding issues in an agreed structured manner. 5. The leaders completed an intensive phase of eight meetings on 14 September 2016, holding substantive discussions on a number of issues and taking stock of the process after 16 months of negotiations. The leaders reiterated that they remained determined to do their utmost to reach a comprehensive settlement as described in the joint declaration of 11 February 2014. All chapters are being discussed interdependently. Significant progress was made on many of the outstanding issues on the chapters of governance and power-sharing, the economy, European Union matters and property, even though certain substantial divergences remain. The two leaders also exchanged views and positions, in a brainstorming session, on the chapters of security and guarantees, and territory. 1 For an overview of resolutions on the question of human rights in Cyprus, see A/HRC/22/18, paras. 1-4. 3